Najiba Mustafayeva

he Parliamentary elections in Armenia will be held on 2 April 2017. Following constitutional amendments, endorsed by voters in a referendum in December 2015, Armenia is transitioning from a semi-presidential to a parliamentary political system. The changes considerably reduce the powers of the president in favour of the prime minister and the parliament. For the first time, voters will elect members of parliament (MPs) under the revised political system.

ntonio Guterres, former prime minister of Portugal, who also led the UN's refugee agency for 10 years, took over as the United Nations' new secretary-general and issued an appeal for peace. “Let us make 2017 a year in which we all — citizens, governments, leaders — strive to overcome our differences,” Guterres declared after taking the reins of the UN. He urged people to share his New Year's resolution: "Let us resolve to put peace first."

"The 70th anniversary of the United Nations is an opportunity to reflect – to look back on the UN’s history and take stock of its enduring achievements. It is also an opportunity to spotlight where the UN – and the international community as a whole – needs to redouble its efforts to meet current and future challenges across the three pillars of its work: peace and security, development, and human rights." - Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's message for UN70

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